An Auditory Free Zone

Author: Harrison Chute

Kelly returns for the second in an accidental nerd duology, in which three unrepentant weebs discuss the complications of importing and exporting works of entertainment, how these cultural exports are tweaked for international sensibilities, accessibility, and even censorship. … More How Do You Translate International Pop Culture?

This week, Kelly returns to the show to challenge the integrity of an old, old, old talking point so often trotted out in the wake of mass shootings (in that impossible space between “let the families grieve” and “politicize the tragedy”). How to explain the epidemic of gun deaths and massacres in this country? I don’t know. Ms. Pac-Man? Even though war veterans will tell you first-person shooters don’t adequately capture the trauma of combat (despite developers’ best… efforts?) and the sleeve-worn biases of ’90s-born moral panic, we’re back with the soft reboot of “video games cause problems,” which fell upon perhaps a new generation of ears, this time uncaring, Fortniting. … More Do Video Games Cause Real World Violence?

QNA goes In Treatment as Donovan and Harrison interview one on another on the origins of their tastes. Is it about what we were exposed to at a young age, what our friends and peers value? What does our media say about us, and why is media meaningful? … More Why Do We Like the Things We Like?

Your Good Friends are back from their escapist apocalypse to the very real one to check in on the impact of the president and the administration. Who are those most vulnerable in 2019 and is there anything we can do about it? Well, I got an answer, and it rhymes with “boat,” like the boat I’m gonna take back to Korea in 2020. For fuck’s sake, what a cliche — “vote.” Yeah, we’re not feeling so hot this week, reeling at both the human rights abuses and the seeming impossibility of American democracy rejecting the parasite of tyranny, whose envoy is only one part of a greater reaction to globalism. So, what are we left with? Is impeachment the fastest, strongest route? Can the immigration infrastructure be fine-tuned to best help people who need asylum? What can we do from now until 2020? Except for buy a boat? … More How Can We Best Protect People from Trump?

In which the hosts work out the most likely scenario that America “ends.” It’s not specifically an episode about answers, but of trying to identify cultural vulnerabilities within the hearts of Americans. … More Fall of the American Empire

Your handsome and not-weird cohosts, in their unyielding discipline, have set the episode after next to be about Neon Genesis Evangelion, but perhaps jumped the rail gun just a touch. We’re both less than ten episodes in, but our excitement floweth over like an LCL flood. Misato forever ❤ … More Evangelion Pregame

To Listen, Click… Here “BBC is, uh… a bunch of bullshit.” This week, Donovan and Host Bot 2 are joined by special guest star April of Dead Times to talk about the American South, on our continuing tour as the World Warriors. Music Selection “Raps A Hustle,” by Cormega (I like this song, but wow, … More Should or Can We Fix the South?